1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer driver, an information processing apparatus, and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional operating system (OS), such as MS Windows (registered trademark), it is necessary to install a printer driver in order to perform a printing sequence for a printer. Functions of the printer controlled by the printer driver may be added or extended. Furthermore, the functions installed in a printer may be different depending on a request by a user. In such a case, the printer driver needs to cope with the functions installed in each of the printers.
As described above, when the functions installed in the printers vary from one printer to another, it is necessary to recompile the printer driver so as to fit the printer and to cope with the functions installed therein. However, there is a problem in that, if it is necessary to recompile the printer driver for each printer, the workload of an administrator increases.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-005608 discloses a technology for adding a plug-in module to a printer driver in accordance with the functions of the printer. By adding the plug-in module, it is possible to dynamically extend the functions of the printer driver so as to adjust to the printer.
However, there is a problem in that, as the number of installed plug-ins increases, it takes a longer time to read the printer driver and the plug-ins when the printing process is performed.
The present embodiment has been devised in consideration of the foregoing, and the present embodiment provides: a printer driver by which time needed to read the printer driver and the plug-ins is reduced when a printing process is performed; an information processing apparatus; and a computer program product.